Mainland is usually the continental part of a region, as opposed to the islands nearby. A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant Sometimes the residents are called "the Mainlanders". Mainlanders (also called Inlanders) are people who live in a region considered a "mainland" As a result of the usually larger area of mainland, there are significantly more mainlanders than islanders, and mainlander culture and politics sometimes threaten to dominate those of the islands.

Prominent uses of the term include:

• Mainland China, as opposed to the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau (but including the island of Hainan), and Taiwan (and other areas administered by the Republic of China);
• Mainland Australia, as opposed to Tasmania. Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term synonymous with the area that is under the jurisdiction Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Macau topics. Hainan ( POJ: Hai-lam Pinyin:, Jyutping: hoi2 naam4 literal meaning "South of the Sea" is the smallest province of the People's Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass
• Mainland Canada, as opposed to Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, Cape Breton Island or Vancouver Island;
• Mainland Denmark, as opposed to the Faroe Islands and Greenland (Mainland Denmark may refer to the Danish part of Jutland, as opposed to Zealand and other islands);
• Mainland Europe, another term for Continental Europe used in many parts of the English-speaking world, but generally not in the United Kingdom; usually in Great Britain, and sometimes in Ireland, mainland Europe is referred to as The Continent. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Prince Edward Island (ˌprɪns ˌɛdwɚd ˈaɪlɨnd ( PEI or P Newfoundland — ˈn(jufənˌlænd (Terre-Neuve Talamh an Éisc — is a large island 15 km off the east coast of Cape Breton Island ( French: île du Cap-Breton - formerly île Royale, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Cheap Breatuinn, Vancouver Island is a large Island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland. Zealand (also Sealand Danish: Sjælland;) is the largest Island (7031 km² of Denmark (excluding Greenland This is an incomplete list of Islands of Denmark. Excluding Greenland and Faroe, there are 444 named islands of which 76 are inhabited Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the Continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the Continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European The word Anglosphere describes a concept of a group of Anglophone ( English -speaking nations which share historical political and cultural characteristics rooted The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located
• Mainland Finland, as opposed to Åland Islands;
• Mainland France (Le Continent), as opposed to Corsica; in relation to its Overseas Departments and Territories, the term Metropolitan France (France Métropolitaine) is more commonly used;
• Mainland United States, as opposed to the state of Hawaii and overseas territories (the terms "U. Mainland Finland (Manner-Suomi is a term used for instance in Statistics to exclude the autonomous Åland Islands under Finnish Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including The term continental United States refers to the 48 contiguous states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada plus the District The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the An insular area is a United States territory that is neither a part of one of the fifty states nor a part of the District of Columbia, the nation's S. Mainland" and "The Mainland" are commonly used in Hawaii, but not in the U. S. mainland itself where "continental United States," which also excludes Alaska, is more commonly used instead); note: this latter term is also more precisely referred to as the "contiguous United States. The term continental United States refers to the 48 contiguous states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada plus the District The term continental United States refers to the 48 contiguous states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada plus the District "
• Mainland Japan and Honshū, as opposed to the rest of the Japanese islands (see also Home Islands);
• Mainland Orkney is the largest and most populous island of the Orkney Islands in Scotland;
• the South Island of New Zealand, which, though having a far smaller population, is slightly larger than the North Island. is a term to distinguish the area of Japan from its outlying territories or Honshu is the largest Island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The, which forms the Country of Japan, extends roughly from northeast to southwest along the northeastern coast of the Eurasia mainland washing upon the northwestern The Mainland is the main Island of Orkney, Scotland. Both of Orkney's Burghs Kirkwall and Stromness, lie on the island Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island.
• the Nova Scotian mainland, as opposed to Cape Breton Island;
• British Mainland (i. Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's Cape Breton Island ( French: île du Cap-Breton - formerly île Royale, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Cheap Breatuinn, The British Isles (Irish variously Na hOileáin Bhriotanacha, Oileáin Iarthair Eorpa, Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór; Ellanyn Goaldagh Eileanan e. the island of Great Britain), as opposed to the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland (although when used to differentiate Britain from Ireland it can be considered an offensive usage) or any other British island. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The Channel Islands ( Norman: Îles d'la Manche, French: Îles Anglo-Normandes or Îles de la Manche) are a group of Islands The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe.
• Mainland Ireland as opposed to its offshore islands. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world This is a list of the principal Islands of Ireland. It includes both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland Note that "the mainland" in Northern Ireland is ambiguous between this sense and the preceding one; using the phrase to mean "Great Britain as opposed to Northern Ireland" is considered objectionable by many Nationalists. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Irish nationalism (Náisiúnachas Éireannach refers to political and sociological movements and sentiment that embodies a love for Irish ancestry, culture and language and
• The largest islands of the Orkney and Shetland Islands; see Mainland, Orkney and Mainland, Shetland. Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland, from etland; Old Norse non Hjaltland; Sealtainn is an Archipelago off the northeast coast of The Mainland is the main Island of Orkney, Scotland. Both of Orkney's Burghs Kirkwall and Stromness, lie on the island Mainland is the main Island of Shetland, Scotland. The island contains Shetland's only Burgh, Lerwick, and is the centre of Shetland's
• Mainland Portugal as opposed to Azores and Madeira Islands. Continental Portugal or Mainland Portugal (Portugal Continental is the designation of the Mainland Portuguese territory located on Europe The Azores ( Açores ɐˈsoɾɨʃ or) is a Portuguese Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1500 km (950  mi) from History See also History of Madeira Pre-Portuguese times Pliny mentions certain Purple Islands the position of which with reference to the
• Mainland Korea as opposed to Jeju and Ulleung Islands
• Mainland Spain as opposed to the Balearic and Canary Islands, the North African cities of Ceuta and Melilla, the island of Alborán and other minor exclaves on Northern Africa (called the Plazas de soberanía). Physical geography See also Geography of North Korea, Geography of South Korea Mountains cover 70 percent of the Korean Peninsula and arable plains are Jeju may refer to Jeju-do, an island of South Korea Jeju City, the biggest city on that island Ulleungdo (also spelled Ulreungdo) is a South Korean island in the Sea of Japan (East Sea Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Balearic Islands ( Catalan and official Illes Balears; Spanish: Islas Baleares) are an Archipelago in the western Mediterranean The Canary Islands ( English pronunciation kəˈnæriː ˈaɪləndz Spanish: Islas Canarias, ˈizlas kaˈnarjas are a Spanish Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain located on the Mediterranean, on the North African side of the Strait of Gibraltar, which Melilla is an autonomous city of Spain located on the Mediterranean, on the North African coast The Isla de Alborán is a small Island in the Alborán Sea, part of the western Mediterranean, about 50 kilometres north of the Moroccan coast and The plazas de soberanía ("places of sovereignty" formerly referred as "África Septentrional Española" (Spanish North Africa or simply "África In Spain the terms "España peninsular" or simply "La Península" are often used.

The term is used on multiple levels. To someone in Tasmania, continental Australia is the mainland; but to residents of King Island, Flinders Island, and the other surrounding islands, Tasmania itself is the mainland. Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. King Island is one of the islands that make up the state of Tasmania, Australia. Flinders Island is an island in the Bass Strait, located 20 km from Cape Portland being the north-eastern tip of Tasmania, Australia Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass